artwork

Idol of Njord in the assembly hall of Ásatrúarfélagið, Reykjavík, Iceland. Photo by Eric O. Scott.

Today’s Njord offering is not something I wrote, but an article by Eric O. Scott that The Wild Hunt posted two years ago. It describes Scott’s visit to Iceland and a conversation which illuminated the difference between how we American Heathens think Icelandic Heathenry “should be” (read: violent and obsessed with Vahalla) and what Icelandic Heathenry actually is (hippie-ish and family-friendly). It’s a neat little snippet of a visit to Iceland. The photo, above, is from his trip, and is apparently the Njord God-pole that stands in their Assembly Hall.

Because Freyr is the most subtleandnuanced of Gods (coughhackcough), no matter what I do, the prayer for him by Joshua Tenpenny absolutely refuses to become a page that I can link to. Instead, each time I try, it posts itself front and center on my blog. Each. Time. I’ve had to delete it three times now and at this point I just give up. You win, Freyr! Look–another post, just about you. And I’ve read that damn prayer like five times in the last twenty-four hours.

I did say I wouldn’t want to be in a relationship with a god who doesn’t talk back, didn’t I? Hmm. (Sigh. Freya was never this hamfisted with things. Seriously.)

Let’s see, what else can I do that will make Freyr happy. Well, I can print out another pic of him since the last one burned up a few weeks ago (a funny story which will likely not make it to the blog). I’ve already started putting together a page of images of him so I’ll have a companion page to the artwork and poetry/songs pages that Freya now has. Hmm, what else? Offerings. Pick up some pulled pork? Barley beer? Honey? Flavored lube? There are clearly not enough ithyphallic sculptures on my altar; I’ve got to rectify that soon (Ha! I said rectify!)

Wow, now I’m making bad Vanic jokes. Freyr’s definitely in the house.

Here’s to you, Ingvi-Freyr. May your love never cease, your indomitable spirit never flag, and your antler never miss its mark.

"To be a catalyst is the ambition most appropriate for those who see the world as being in constant change, and who, without thinking that they can control it, wish to influence its direction." -Theodore Zeldin